GoFlow: a DIY tDCS brain-boosting kit

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Did you know that by attaching a 9-volt battery to your scalp — with the help of some electrodes and some wet sponges (or conducting gel) — you can more than double your brain’s learning rate and boost peak performance?

It sounds crazy, but it has now been proven by multiple studies that transcranial direct-current stimulation (tDCS) can significantly speed up your brain. In one case, the US Air Force used tDCS on trainee drone pilots to halve their learning time; likewise, DARPA has used tDCS to speed up the training of snipers. In another study, carried out by the University of New Mexico, test subjects learned how to play a video game twice as quickly while under tDCS, and played the game with heightened performance. Furthermore, tDCS has been shown to have therapeutic effects on people with neurological issues, such as Parkinson’s disease or post-stroke motor dysfunction. And best of all, it’s safe! Or at least, tDCS has no short-term side effects. It is unlikely due to the tiny current involved (9 volts at 2 milliamps), but there could be long-term effects — so we must suggest that you do not try tDCS at home.

With that out of the way, I give you GoFlow β1, a do-it-yourself tDCS kit. Basically, you can buy tDCS machines today, but they’re not cheap (on the order of hundreds or thousands of dollars). GoFlow wants to create a kit with all of the necessary parts for $99, with a simple, solderless schematic that anyone can put together. You can’t buy GoFlow yet, but you ask to be notified when it is.

Even at $99, the GoFlow kit is fairly expensive. Just so you understand just how simple tDCS is, all you have to do is pass 9V at 2mA through your scalp for 30 minutes. To do this, you need a battery, some electrodes, a resistor, and if you’re feeling snazzy (and safe) a current regulator. To be fair, for your $99, GoFlow will give you a plastic housing and provide a potentiometer — presumably so you can find the right voltage for your brain. You also need to know where to place the electrodes on your scalp, to boost the right area of your brain. Judging by the picture on the right, GoFlow will provide a map of the various regions.

If you’re interested in how tDCS actually works, we’ve written about it before in some detail. In effect, tDCS pushes your brain into a state of flow, which you might’ve heard of if you’re a coder or other similarly-inclined lifehacker. Basically, by pumping electrons into your brain, tDCS creates two effects: a) Neurons are made more sensitive, and thus can “fire” faster, and b) After the current is removed, your neurons are left in a “wet clay” state that are more capable of making new connections (i.e. learning).

In non-clinical applications (i.e. performed by at-home enthusiasts), tDCS has been used to improve everything from programming speed and dexterity (perhaps GoFlow is exactly what you need to finally master Perl) to FPS gaming skills. It’s not hard to see how tDCS could pose some ethical considerations, though. Should students be allowed to use tDCS when revising for an exam? (What if some students can afford tDCS kits, but others can’t?) What if pro gamers use tDCS before a StarCraft 2 match? Is that the e-equivalent of using steroids or blood doping?

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How is de schema for this device different than a simple Zapper? Seems like the same to me, just put the copper elektrodes somewhere else than the regular points (like your palms).

http://twitter.com/iWankTV Raphael Baker

The schematic is fake by the way. Some of the graphics were lifted from someone else’s sketch and there is no LM-456 current regulator.

Matt Sornson

Raphael, the schematic is just a mockup. We did indeed borrow a graphic, and the LM-456 is lorum ipsum as well. We will post a much more detailed schematic and parts list once we have finalized the device. We’ll keep you all updated.

Matt Sornson

Raphael, the schematic is just a mockup. We did indeed borrow a graphic, and the LM-456 is lorum ipsum as well. We will post a much more detailed schematic and parts list once we have finalized the device. We’ll keep you all updated.

I like your brmlab page with the user data you measured. a version of this that only turned on when it detected the user was happy would cause them to accumulate (learn) a worldview was full of things they liked. although to do that the responsiveness of the learning effect would have to be measured with something like I turned it on only when the computer showed a memory word (.5s) then the list of remembered memory words was larger even though the stimulation was intermittent rather than continuous.

Petr Navrátil

Hi Your idea have few flaws:
Long term wearing is not posble it causing skin iritation maybe be
posible in newer HD-tDCS with new tipes of electrodes.
O,5 stimulation is not posible TDCS dount work tahat you need few
minutes of stimulatin + time to ramping up a current in begininga
stimulation.
The efect of tdcs last few hours you cant make it stimulus specific (in
same modality).
Measuring hapines is also not easy maybe can be done by EMG of facial
muscles but elecrodes in face not very estetic next poisbiily is EEG but
find hapines there is almout imposible you can find wakefullnes, focus
this is closest.
Actualy your whole idea work without a device a the barin it do this
naturaly . If you hapy you more aware of surounding if you like/focus to
some stimulus you ive him more resources and better learn him.This have
2 parts one is emotional emotion linked to stimulus if it god or bad
you give more resources to it if is neutral brain over looked it. Second
is direct focus you can chose a stimulus.All of that depens change
thalamus filtration nad cortex procesing of information.
Main thing is have activated L-DLPFC , stress block its function.You can
clean a stress hormones and activate DLPFC by many tools like mental
techniqes ot TDCS.

bot003 genius

Petr, you said “in newer HD-tDCS with new tipes of electrodes”
did you mean some certain types?
if not, then what do you think they would be, so that they won’t irritate skin?

Simpler than that really, you can use the headphone jack of an iphone or similar device to get you the current you need. You just need to strip a headphone jack and an uncompressed audio file to pump out the juice, but it can be done. I came to this conclusion after reading the research papers on this subject, as well as studies of the power output of the iphone.

http://www.mrseb.co.uk Sebastian Anthony

Ha. I like it. Very MacGyver.

http://www.facebook.com/people/Steve-Puts/1307515624 Steve Puts

That would give you AC instead of DC.

Petr Navrátil

yes this work but not for tDCS
i used that idea for simple CES (cranial electric stimulation)
i add small battery amplifiler to MP3 plyer isnot ideal add a noise to the signal and voltage is to low(you can used transformator) but work

Anonymous

HI. Just some concerns. I worked in hospital where they used ECT electroconvulsive therapy to help patients with mental problems. Voltages and amperages where much higher and many electrical waveforms were used to help patients. Saline solutions applied to the electrodes and stainless steel or silver electrodes were used. This was under controlled conditions of a doctor. Willy nilly applications of electrical currents by the general uninformed public seems very dangerous. Thinking of the head and brain therein I can image that in such a 3 D environment that the electrical current paths taken could play havoc with all the various organs in the brain and that the results could be unwanted in the extreme. Again the human brains of the readers out there should be respected in the extreme. Caution caution caution. Talk to a real doctor about your experimental idea before going any further.

http://www.mrseb.co.uk Sebastian Anthony

Thanks for taking the time to comment!

As you say, the voltages/amperages are drastically different, so I think it should be safe. If DARPA is using it to train snipers, then it’s probably _fairly_ safe.

Anonymous

This is the same organization that tested LSD on soldiers during the 60’s, and various amphetamines on them from the 70’s to today. Super-human soldiers yes, long-term safety not so much.

http://www.facebook.com/john.wehland John Michael Wehland

lol. I dont mean to be disrespectfull, but the article said that DARPA used it to train snipers. This does’t mean they still do or that they were particularly concerned about the safety of the few they did try it on or that if things went wrong they would publicly acknowledge it. Caution.

http://www.mrseb.co.uk Sebastian Anthony

Thanks for taking the time to comment!

As you say, the voltages/amperages are drastically different, so I think it should be safe. If DARPA is using it to train snipers, then it’s probably _fairly_ safe.

Anonymous

HI. Just some concerns. I worked in hospital where they used ECT electroconvulsive therapy to help patients with mental problems. Voltages and amperages where much higher and many electrical waveforms were used to help patients. Saline solutions applied to the electrodes and stainless steel or silver electrodes were used. This was under controlled conditions of a doctor. Willy nilly applications of electrical currents by the general uninformed public seems very dangerous. Thinking of the head and brain therein I can image that in such a 3 D environment that the electrical current paths taken could play havoc with all the various organs in the brain and that the results could be unwanted in the extreme. Again the human brains of the readers out there should be respected in the extreme. Caution caution caution. Talk to a real doctor about your experimental idea before going any further.

Greg Allen

I’ll let someone else try it for a few years, first.

Glenn Scott

Lets assume this is true and the results are realistic. I could see this being a new form of the caffeinated drink. People would no longer drink soda to perform work better/faster, instead, they will wear a headset every day that monitors their flow, and amps them up as necessary. (No pun intended)

Petr Navrátil

i try it for about 3years about 50tests – no side effects yet

http://blog.obelisk.ro oxygen

ia diried eat fur 9ears aaad – on edsi efeftcs yte

J. Andrew Lanz-O’Brien

There should be no ethical considerations here. Scientific progress is the most important thing in this world. If we can progress our ability to learn, science will move at a faster rate. NOTHING should be allowed in the way of that.

Daniel Katz

Your ignorance is impressive.

Daniel Katz

Your ignorance is impressive.

http://www.facebook.com/jlee6367 James Lee

Why would you say this? Humanity has huge problems to solve. The more people that can be induced into more cognitively creative and problem solving states of mind will be very helpful for our species.

http://www.facebook.com/john.wehland John Michael Wehland

Most of the pressing problems facing humanity have been caused our “progress” and our technology : Climate Change. Polution. Nuclear Annihilation. Thousands of years ago humans imagined that the world might to come to an end because of gods and monsters. Now the world might literally end for us all and we know it. The twist is that the destroyer was us all along. I’m not sure if we are ready for more problems. Instead of looking for scientific answers to our problems, maybe we should start looking for human answers.

Baltazar

I’m half impressed by your apt description of our species’ current predicament and half disgusted by the vague, meaningless drivel it devolved into by end the paragraph.

http://www.facebook.com/abhaydas92 Abhay Das

Why don’t you think about all those lives modern medicine saved before suggesting all of humanity to go back into the medieval ages? If you want to live in a forest and hunt your meal down, no one’s gonna stop you mate. You can be human all you want, but technology and ‘progress’ are as important as well.

Bashar Rahal

Science is moving fast, alright. Just look at physics in the last 50 years or consumer electronics, if you will.

But much of the research is done by private companies, that lock it down with IP. No transhuman ability to learn is going to undo greed or power thirst.

http://twitter.com/rottedcockmeat rottedcockmeat

can i put it on my cock?

Anonymous

Most definitely but it will accelerate the rot.

Anonymous

Most definitely but it will accelerate the rot.

Anonymous

Most definitely but it will accelerate the rot.

Anonymous

Most definitely but it will accelerate the rot.

Anonymous

Most definitely but it will accelerate the rot.

http://profile.yahoo.com/3YVR3DCQTG5XYYV2XBAWP43VN4 Phillip

Not worried with boosting learning but wonder if it would work for remembering what I already know but can’t remember? LOL Well, I will try one day and see.

http://pulse.yahoo.com/_WADSITAJWDFEJU3TKJOFY54BWY Jeffer J

“you can more than double your brain’s learning rate.”
This is misleading, the “learning” they tested was domain specific. They didn’t test if learning was helped in other areas over the many different areas of cognition. You can’t take this to mean that a person can double his learning rate in math or piano, for example.

James Fugedy

Why would you want to experiment when tDCS is clinically available in Atlanta, Boston and New York?

Wlf_Leonidas

HOW CAN I BUY IT ?

http://www.facebook.com/matt.apple.54 Matt Apple

ok so its november 29th 2012, and im seriously considering this purchase or something like it. iv been pondering this for the past 3-4 months. where can i accuire this? a friend of mine and i are looking into this and will consult many physicians before actuallly trying this, atleast thats the plan. and i would like to start using this right away, cause like some guy said below, human advancement is amazing and could help solve problems. honestly, when i first read this i was thinking that the government will implement this into every school on every kid, or we all of society wil always wear this. like, this is ground-breaking technology. wearing this small battery can make me smart, better memory, better as FPS games, thats just insane. almost like the “Twilight Zone” this is so interesting and would love a repsonse ASAP. cant wait to hear back

Alex

Beware of con artists!

It appears that people
running tdcsdevicekit.com are con artists.
I have ordered my kit in November 2012 and received nothing for my
money. I e-mailed them, called and even talked to Baker.
On December 28, 2012 I finally got USPS tracking number from them:
LC476861712US. It was delivered on January 31, 2013:
Your item was delivered at 2:00 pm on January 31, 2013 in SANTA ROSA, CA
95401.
Isn’t it easy to send a package to yourself or put a wrong address or
not enough stamps on it to get it back? At the same time a customer is
waiting and finally it is too late to reverse transaction via Paypal.

I called them again. They gave me excuses. Nothing else. Very bad experience, bad business, bad people.

This sounds awesome! But ethical concerns are moot. There were none of these ‘academic fairness’ concerns in place when typewriters, calculators, and, of course, computers came to be. There are plenty of students who currently lack access to computer resources and the internet, so the school provides them. Should tDCS prove to be just as beneficial, the schools will provide it. Should a student not be able to afford it, work at a fast food restaurant for two weeks, and voila, cash.

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